“Yemen will be conquered and some people will migrate {from Madinah} and will urge their families, and those who will obey them to migrate {to Yemen} although Madinah will be better for them; if they but knew. Sham will also be conquered and some people will migrate {from Madinah} and will urge their families and those who will obey them, to migrate {to Sham} although Madinah will be better for them; if they but knew. ‘Iraq will be conquered and some people will migrate (from Madinah) and will urge their families and those who will obey them to migrate {to ‘Iraq} although Madinah will be better for them; if they but knew.”

When the Jews of Khaybar left, they did not take any fruit or land. The Jews of Fadak took half the fruit and half the land, because the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم, had made a settlement with them for that. So Umar entrusted to them the value in gold, silver, camels, ropes and saddle bags of half the fruit and half the land, and handed the value over to them and expelled them.”

9} This is why Imam Malik رحمه الله disliked anyone saying, “the tawaf of the visit,” or, “we visited the grave of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم ,” because people normally use that for visits between themselves, and he did not like to put the Prophet Muhammad on the same level as other people. He preferred a specific statement like

“We greeted or sent salutations to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.””

10} Imam Malik رحمه الله said:

The order of priority is to send blessings upon him before greeting the Masjid {tahiyyat al-Masjid} and before approaching to greet him. It is permissible to say:

“When one greets the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم , let him face the grave not the Qibla, and let him not touch the grave with his hand nor raise his voice.

12} Imam Malik رحمه الله says,

“I do not think people should stand at the grave of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم, but should greet and then depart”… and “It is not necessary for the people of Madinah who enter and leave the Masjid to stand at the grave. That is for strangers”… and “There is no harm in someone who comes from a journey or leaves on a journey standing at the grave of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم”…

{Al-Mabsut}

13} Al-Baji رحمه الله said, “There is a difference between the people of Madinah and strangers because strangers have a specific intention for doing so {visiting the grave} whereas the Madinans live there and do not intend to go there for the sake of the grave and the greeting.”

14} Ibn al-Qasim رحمه الله said, “When the people of Madinah left or entered Madinah, I saw that they used to come to the grave and give the greeting… That is what is considered the correct thing to do.”

Doing Salawat upon the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم

15} Ibn Abi Fudayk رحمه الله said,

“We have heard that all who stop at the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم grave should recite the ayat, “Allah and His Angels bless the Prophet…”

{Qur’an 33:56}.

16} Abdullahi ibn Mas’ud رضي الله عنه narrates that Your Salah and Salam on him reaches him because the Messenger of Allah said:

“Allah has Angels who go around on earth, conveying to me the salam of my Ummah.”

{Sunan of Imam an-Nasa’i}

17} It is also well known that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم will return your greeting.

“There is not one of you who sends his greetings upon me except that Allah returns the soul to my body {in the grave} and I return his greeting.”

{Sunan Abu Dawud}

18} Abdur Rahman ibn Awf رضي الله عنه said, I came to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم while he was in prostration and he elongated his prostration and then said,

“Jibra’il came to me and he said, ‘whoever sends blessings {salah} upon you, I will send blessings on him, and whoever sends greetings {salam} upon you, I will send greetings upon him,’ so I prostrated out of thankfulness to Allah.’”

{Sahih Hadith, al-Hakim}

19} Even your “Dua is suspended between heaven and earth and none of it is taken up until you send blessings upon your Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم .”

“The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned but he does not supplicate for me.”

{Sahih Hadith, At-Tirmidhi}

“`

23} ibn Abi Sa`id al-Mahri رحمه الله said that he went to `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz رحمه الله and when `Umar bade him farewell, he said,

“I would like you to do something for me. When you reach Madinah and see the grave of the Prophetصلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم, greet him for me with peace.” Another said, “He used to send such greetings in his letters from Syria.”… :))))))

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Prayer in the Masjid of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم

24} The Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم said:

“A prayer in this Masjid of mine {in Madinah} is better than a thousand prayers in any other, except the Holy Masjid {in Mecca}”

{Sahih Muslim}

25} Its meaning is that prayer in the Prophet’s Masjid is better than that in the Holy Masjid, but not by one thousand times.”

There is also in the Hadith:

26} “Between my grave and my pulpit lies a grove from the groves of Paradise”

{Bukhari and Muslim} and:

27} “Madinah is a great good for them, if they but knew!”

{al-Bazzar with a sound chain, at-Tabarani with a fair chain, and Imam Ahmad in his Musnad) and:

28} “Whoever is able to die in Madinah let him die there, for verily I intercede for him who dies there”.

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The scholars differ concerning which is better, Mecca or Madinah.

29} The scholars that say that Mecca is better, use the following verse of the Qur’an. Allah the Exalted said: “Lo! the first sanctuary appointed for mankind was that at Becca, a blessed place, a guidance to the peoples; wherein are plain memorials {of Allah’s guidance}; the place where Ibrahim stood up to pray; and whosoever enters it is safe.”

{Qur’an 3:96-97}

30} Imam an-Nawawi رحمه الله in his commentary on Sahih Muslim said:

“The scholars have differed regarding the meaning of the above exception in the same way that they have differed concerning Mecca and Madina: which of the two is better?

31} The way of Imam ash-Shafi`i رحمه الله and the vast majority of the scholars is that Mecca is better than Madinah and that the Masjid in Mecca is better than the Masjid in Madinah.

According to Imam ash-Shafi`i رحمه الله and the vast majority, the meaning of the exception is: “except the Holy Masjid (in Mecca), for prayer in it is better than in my Masjid.”

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32} The opposite is true for Imam Malik and a group of scholars.

According to Imam Malik رحمه الله and those who agree with him, however, the meaning of the exception is: “except the Holy Masjid (in Mecca), for prayer in my Masjid is better than there, but not by a thousand times.”

“One prayer in this Masjid of mine is better than a thousand prayers in any other except the Holy Masjid {in Mecca}, and one prayer in the Holy Masjid {in Mecca} is better than one hundred prayers in my Masjid.”

33} Imam an-Nawawi رحمه الله said:

” This is a fair hadith {hadith hasan}, narrated by Ahmad ibn Hambal رحمه الله in his Musnad, Imam al-Bayhaqi رحمه الله, and others have it with a fair chain, and Allah knows best.” End of Nawawi’s words. [I love that he says Allah knows best :)]

{Sharh Sahih Muslim}

34} Qadi `Iyad رحمه الله did not agree with this and he said in his ash-Shifa’, in the Chapter on “the Etiquette of entering the Masjid of the Prophet and its excellence”

{Regarding the Hadith: “One prayer in this Masjid of mine is better than a thousand prayers in any other, except the Sacred Masjid in Mecca.}

“The scholars have differed regarding the meaning of the above exception in the same way that they have differed concerning the greater excellence of Mecca and Madinah.

35} Imam Malik رحمه الله considers, according to the narrations of Ashhab ibn `Abd al-`Aziz, Ibn Nafi` the companion of Imam Malik, and a large group of others among his companions:

” The meaning of the hadith whereby prayer in the Prophet’s Masjid is better than that one thousand in any other mosque except the Holy Masjid {in Mecca}, is that prayer in the Prophet’s Masjid is better than that in the Holy Masjid {in Mecca}, but not by a thousand times. “

They use as proof what has been related from `Umar ibn al-Khattab whereby prayer in the Sacred Masjid {in Mecca} is better than a hundred prayers in other Masjids in any other.

It follows from this that the excellence of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم Masjid {over Mecca} is nine hundred times greater, and a thousand times greater than all other Masjids.

This is based on the superexcellence of Madinah over Mecca, and is the position of `Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه , Imam Malik, and the majority of the people of Madinah.”

36} Imam as-Shawkani رحمه الله said:

“The position of `Umar ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه and some of the Companions and Imam Malik and the majority of the people of Madinah is that Madinah is better.”

{Nayl al-Awtar}

37} Imam `Ali al-Qari al-Hanafi رحمه الله writes:

“There is no doubt that Mecca, among the highly venerated sanctuaries, is preferable to Madinah itself in general, except for the mound of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم grave, which is mercy and tranquillity: for it is better than the Ka`ba or rather, better than the Throne itself according to a large group of the scholars.” End of Qari’s words.

{Sharh as-Shifa}

38} Qadi `Iyad رحمه الله once again states in his Shifa’, in the chapter on visiting the Prophet, the consensus of the Muslims whereby we say that the site of the Prophet’s grave is the holiest site on earth.

39} In the Chapter entitled: “The adab {Manners} of entering the Masjid of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و آله و صحبه و سلم and its excellence, the excellence of the prayer in it and in the Masjid of Mecca, the Prophet’s grave and minbar, and the excellence of living in Madina and Mecca,” the same author says: “There is no dispute that the place of his grave is the best place on earth.”